NPR Story

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Wed February 22, 2012

Role Of Maids Dusts Up Trouble For 'The Help'

"The Help," the best-selling novel about the life of black maids in segregated Jackson, Mississippi, successfully transitioned into a box office smash. Viola Davis and Octavia Spenser are nominated for Oscars. Many fans are dismayed the Academy's recognition goes to black women portraying domestics, a hated stereotype. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates has more.